>> Sunday, October 8, 2017

2 Vietnamese fishers
dead

BOLINAO,
Pangasinan -- The captain and crew members of a Philippine Navy patrol boat
that figured in a collision with a Vietnamese fishing vessel in waters off this
town last week have been relieved from their posts.

Two Vietnamese
fishermen were found dead after an exchange of gunfire reportedly occurred
between the two vessels.

Armed Forces of the
Philippines chief Gen. Eduardo and Navy chief Vice Admiral Ronald Joseph
Mercado ordered the relief of the captain of BRP Miguel Malvar to
pave the way for an impartial investigation into the incident, according to
Col. Edgard Arevalo, AFP public affairs office chief.

“The rest of the
patrol boat’s crewmembers were restricted on the Navy ship to ensure their
availability during the investigation,” Arevalo said.

He refused to identify
the Navy boat captain.

The Vietnamese
fishermen were found dead on their boat while five others were arrested after a
chase with a Philippine Navy patrol vessel ended in a collision in the waters
off this town Sept. 16.

The Navy was on its
way to Subic when it spotted six Vietnamese fishing boats allegedly poaching in
the coastal waters of this town shortly before midnight.

The boats were
reportedly using “very bright lights.”

The Navy approached
the boats, but one of them switched off the light and sped off, prompting a
chase.

The boat reportedly
rammed the Navy patrol vessel.

Authorities boarded
and searched the Vietnamese boat, where they found the bodies lying on the deck
and arrested five others.